Cloud lamp turns your living room into a thunder dome

This lamp looks like a cloudIndeed it does, and that’s its name: Cloud. It’s not just some cotton-wool-and-lightbulb botch job, mind you – its similarity with a good old cumulonimbus goes further than mere looks.

How so?It’s packed with several multicolour lights, as well as motion sensors and speakers, all of which work in unison to bring a “storm” into your home.

It’s not going to get my rug wet is it?Nope, water is definitely not involved. But what it will do is flash like lightning and rumble like thunder – all triggered by your movement.

Sounds disruptiveIt doesn’t have to be. The full storm mode isn’t the only function the Cloud fulfils: you can also stream music through the speakers via Bluetooth, and can act as a nightlight by emitting softer, less flashy light.

How does it work?It’s controlled by an Arduino, and its code is open source – so you can actually mess around with it if you know how. That, and the speakers, lights and motion sensors, are all hidden inside a structure covered with felted hypoallergenic fibre-fill (the sort of stuff you’d find in pillows).

OK, so can I buy it?Certainly. But the smart version costs a princely US$3360 (S$4195). You can buy a lamp-only edition for a cut-price US$960 (S$1200) too – both are available at Richard Clarkson’s online store.